N197D

On September 16, 2005, approximately 0700 mountain daylight time, a Denight 100D2, N197D, registered to and operated by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during an uncontrolled descent six miles southeast of Hudson, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal cross-country flight was being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and a passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated from Erie Municipal Airport (48V), Erie, Colorado, and was en route to Bartlesville Municipal Airport (BVO), Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

A witness told an FAA inspector that the airplane departed 48V approximately 0645. Approximately 0700, the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) began receiving an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal. An aerial search failed to locate the source of the transmission. A ground search was organized approximately 1630, and the wreckage was located in a Weld County field near the intersection of County Roads 4 and 55.

The on-scene investigation by an FAA inspector revealed a crater approximately 15 feet from the main wreckage oriented 030 degrees magnetic direction. There was no scar between the crater and the airplane. The airplane came to rest upright. There was a right twist in the fuselage. One wooden propeller blade was shattered; the other blade was undamaged. The left wing was crushed upward and inward along the leading edge. The right wing sustained damage near the root where the right main landing gear punctured. The left main gear was bent outward longitudinally and the right main gear was forced up into the right wing. The cabin area was crushed and wrinkled more severely on the left side than the right side. The empennage was unremarkable. The airspeed indicator indicated approximately 73 knots. The fuel quantity gauge indicated approximately 1/3 full. The throttle position was full open and the mixture control was full rich. Flight control continuity was established.

The pilot had an airframe and power plant (A&P) rating, dated November 25, 2002, and a repairman certificate, dated June 30, 1981.

An autopsy revealed no evidence of physical incapacitation or impairment. A toxicological was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs.

On November 17, 2005, an engine examination performed at Beegles Aircraft Service, Greeley, Colorado, revealed the right carburetor float was hydraulically crushed and the bowl was dry. The carburetor air box was compromised during impact. There was fuel in the totalizer. Both magnetos sparked. Engine compression was confirmed on the #2 and #3 cylinders. Engine compression was not possible on cylinders #1 and #4 because impact damage to the rear accessory case compromised camshaft continuity. All four cylinders were boroscoped and revealed no anomalies. Oil pump continuity was confirmed.